Etymology Map
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Beak

3 stages from Latin to English.

Today it means a bird's hard projecting mouth

Where does the word "beak" come from? It comes from Latin beccus, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
beccus
Latin · ancient
"beak"
a Gaulish word recorded by Suetonius
2
Stage 2 of 3
bec
Old French · medieval
"beak"
Normandy's Bec Abbey was named after a stream
3
Stage 3 of 3
beak
English · 1200s
"bird's bill"
slang 'beak' for a magistrate dates from the 1700s
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Read the full story

Beak’s story begins in Latin: beccus meant “beak.” A Gaulish word recorded by Suetonius. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as bec. Normandy's Bec Abbey was named after a stream. It reached English by 1200s as beak. Slang 'beak' for a magistrate dates from the 1700s. Today, beak means a bird's hard projecting mouth.